The transition from Indian boarding schools to public schools has been a difficult one for individual members of the Ute Indian Tribe.  Initially, many Ute people have thought that the public schools must bear the responsibility for educating Ute children.  This attitude has changed.  The Ute people have found it necessary to become more involved in the development of programs and school operations.  Many parents are discovering that they, too, have a large responsibility in this process.  Many Ute parents have also come to realize the importance of survival skills in the dominant Anglo culture.  It is vital that Ute youth possess a strong identity and a growing self-confidence in order for them to meet the challenges of the future.  It is this new approach to educating Ute people that will correct the failures of the past and promote the growth and development of our people for years to come.

Background

Uintah and Ouray (U&O) Reservation:  Three Ute bands (Uintah, Uncompahgre, and Whiteriver), known collectively as the Ute Indian Tribe, live on the U&O Reservation with tribal headquarters at Fort Duchesne, Utah.  The Reservation is located in northeasternUtah, 150 miles east of Salt Lake City and 40 miles west of the Utah/Colorado border.  Covering approximately 1.2 million acres, it is the second largest reservation in the U.S.   It is located within a semi-arid area known as the Uintah Basin and covers a large portion of western Uintah and eastern Duchesne counties.

Ute Tribe:  The Ute Indian Tribe has 3,120 members—an increase from 2,500 in 1980 and is projected to reach 4,672 by 2010.  Eighty-five percent (85% - 2,650 individuals) of Tribal members live on the Reservation, whereas statewide only 35.1% of American Indians live on their tribal reservations.  More than 95% of the reservation’s population is Ute Indians.  The Tribe represents 5.4% of the Duchesne County’s total population and 9.4% of Uintah County’s total population (Sources: Ute Department of Vital Statistics, 2000; Uintah River Empowerment Zone 2001 Strategic Plan; and U. S. Census Bureau, 2000).